The Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle is dark - important because along with heat and oxygen, light will shorten the shelf life of edible oils - including olive oil.

This California company makes a big deal (perhaps too big?) out of 'stone crushing' their olives. I have toured the thoroughly modern stainless steel olive presses in Crete and tasted the end result - top quality - some of the best extra virgin olive oil in the world. That's why I was dubious about whether the 'stone crushing' would mean anything about the olive oil inside the bottle.

This extra virgin olive oil smells fresh, like olives. The color is brightly green and the taste is vibrant and very olivey. I would say that while you certainly could cook with it, it would be better showcased as a finish or olive oil for dipping.

The oil's hearty flavor and clingy feel is great for pasta, bruschetta, or dipping, and despite it's California production with Italian roots, it's bold enough to hold it's own in a Greek Salad.

Whether the stone-crushing traditional process has made any difference, I can't tell. But if they care enough to import 2000 pound stones from Italy, you can bet they care enough to store and ship their extra virgin olive oil so that it reaches you in pristine condition.

Bariani Olive Oil 1 liter $20.99

When the editors of Cook's Illustrated decided to do olive oil reviews for grocery store olive oils, they discovered a lot of oil without much olive. In fact, in the end none of the grocery store olive oils they reviewed were worthy of the top rating: 'highly recommended'. For that, they referred back to a former top rated olive oil - not sold at the grocery store but nearly as easy - Columela olive oil can be had online with just a few clicks.


Columela Extra Virgin Olive Oil garnered top ratings, and while we don't claim the authority of the Cook's Illustrated staff, Olive Oil Reviews agrees. This Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil is olivey and fresh with that peppery finish - perfect as an all around oil. $17.95 for 17 oz.

Les Moulins de la Brague Extra Virgin Olive Oil
.5 Liter $27.85

Some buyers might be put off by a tin of olive oil rather than a bottle, but there are sound reasons for this - protecting the oil within from light is important to preserve flavor. Moulins de la Brague's green and yellow logo is exotically attractive.

France is not a big producer of olive oil, but that doesn't mean they can't produce an excellent product - which they have.

Moulins de la Brague extra virgin olive oil is a good all around oil. It subtle flavor won't overpower dishes like mild fish or a lettuce salad. If you've found some oils to be 'too olivey' or peppery for your tastes, Moulins de la Brague might be the best olive oil for you.

Olio Verde from Sicily presents me with a problem. It's a good oil, a very good olive oil even. I like early season oils. When the olives are picked before they fully ripen, the oil naturally has unique characteristics. But while Olio Verde is very good, is it worth the cost when you stand it up against another top rated olive oil?

They talk about their 300 year old stock - which makes no difference in the taste but is very romantic sounding. They say that they still use stones and mats to press the oil and that they don't filter it but decant it instead.

What we are left with is a very good single estate Italian Extra Virgin (in the original sense) Olive Oil priced at $39.55 for.5 liter. One thing makes this potentially 'worth it' - this is the 2007 harvest which most oils you see in the store won't claim. Fresh is best, and it doesn't get fresher than this past fall/winter - the harvest season for olives.

I know how much work goes into harvesting by hand and maintaining the trees. I know that most farmers around the world are seriously underpaid for their oil (some of my friends were getting less than 4 euros/liter when they sold to a co-op.)

There is no way that I could justify this oil being my everyday olive oil, the price is just too dear. I think it would make an excellent gift - as a dated oil made with respect for tradition it may well be the first real olive oil and therefore the best olive oil the recipient has ever had.

If you do decide you've got the money to spend, use this oil on finished foods - definitely don't cook with it. It is usually called a single varietal oil, meaning it comes from one kind of olive and cooking with it would take away all the nuances you're paying for. It's well suited for grilled meats and would be satisfying accompaniment to grilled breads.

Because the primary flavor in this cake comes from the olive oil, it is essential to use only the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. When it's good, it's marvelous - and when it's not good, it's a waste of calories. This is one place where it's worth the extra cost for a top rated, very flavorful olive oil.

Citrus compote:
2 Oranges
2 Tangerines
2 Grapefruit or Blood Oranges
3 Tablespoons very good (best) quality olive oil

Section the citrus, removing the peel and membrane. Douse with oil, toss gently to coat and set aside.

Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup good quality fresh extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup bleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven for at least 15 minutes to 350 °F
2. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, soda, salt, and powder together.
4. In a separate large bowl whisk the remaining ingredients well.
5. Add flour mixture to olive oil mixture and stir slowly just until blended.
6. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let cool in the pan and serve dusted lightly with powdered sugar beside citrus compote at room temperature.

The first and most obvious quality of a top olive oil is flavor. It has to taste like olive oil. Very fresh olive oil often has a bite which mellows after a few months.

I enjoy this bite as do many an olive oil gourmet - but it's not for everyone. Many of our Cretan friends preferred olive oil that had mellowed for a few months to the very fresh olive oil. If you don't like the bite and buy olive oil that's too fresh, it's easy enough to let it sit for a few months - but you can't bring back the bite of fresh olive oil once it's mellowed. Buying olive oil fresher is better for everyone.

Because freshness is vital, I like to know when my oil was processed. Generally, I won't buy olive oil older than 12 months, though there is nothing unsafe about older oil. If I buy olive oil without a production date, I like to buy from specialists.

Specialists care about their product, and it shows. They store it under proper conditions and turn it over quickly. You really can't say the same about your local grocery and often can't say the same about the gourmet food grocers which might carry 30 different brands. When do they discard their product? What do they do if something doesn't sell?

Lastly, Americans love Italy and all things Italian. When Americans think of olive oil, they often think of olive oil from Italy. There are some grand Italian olive oils, indeed. But you should know that Italy consumes far more olive oil than it produces. What this means is that when you buy a large-scale production Italian olive oil, you are probably buying Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern oil which has been blended in Italy.

Practically speaking, it's cheaper, fresher, and tastier to buy a Greek or Spanish or Middle Eastern olive oil from the start. And if you speak to an olive oil gourmet, you will certainly be told the same.

The exception to that rule is if you are getting an Estate olive oil from Italy. Estate oils are produced on a smaller scale, by people who care more about their product than a large multi-national.

No Bertolli for me!

While in Crete, I toured Terra Creta's factory, an entirely modern operation. At the end of my tour, they sent me packing with 750 ml of their very best Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

And it was really beautiful. The Kolimbari region of Crete, Greece lies on the west side of the island and has more olive trees per square meter than any other area in Crete. Kolimbari (also spelled Kolymbari or Kolymvari or Kolimvari) oil carries a Protected Designation of Origin label and has won more than one Hellenic tasting. It comes with an expiration date and a code that lets you track your bottle "from the grove to the shelf" using Terra Creta's website.

Until recently, you couldn't get Terra Creta's olive oil in the USA, but I've now found an importer - Minos Imports.

This is a great all around olive oil, with a green, peppery flavor typical of olive oil from Greece. At 1 liter for $13.99, you can afford to use it liberally, in the spirit of the Cretans, the world's largest consumers of olive oil.

***Minos imports also carries a 5 liter tin of what I would call Terra Creta's everyday olive oil. Good, very good even, but not spectacular or striking. It's still tasty and healthy but doesn't have the distinctiveness to be the star of your dish. But the price is right.

Iliada Kalamata Greek Extra Virgin
.5 Liter $9.99
Another Greek olive oil, also at a very nice price and made from koroneiki olives, the same as are used for Terra Creta's great oil. The wonderful thing about single variety oils is that they are more individual in flavor - though less consistent from one season to the next. That's why larger companies will blend oils - to ensure that every bottle you buy will taste the same as every other bottle you buy.

And whether this is a good thing or not depends on what you're doing with it. If you're making soap, it really doesn't matter if the olive oil's subtle individualities are blended away. But if you're tasting oils, it would be a crime to include a blended oil for anything but as an example of what can happen to good oil in the wrong hands.

A side by side tasting of Iliada Kalamata's EVOO and Terra Creta's EVOO would be revealing - because it's interesting to see how different oils from the same olive compare. The price is not too bad - less than $20/liter makes it good for using everyday - but it's single variety origin means the flavor is there if you want to taste it. This would be a great option in the olive oil cake or naturally perfect for a Greek salad.